


Traps and Triumph

by xTarmanderx



Series: Morey Appreciation Week 2019 [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Kidnapping, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Rescue Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 06:57:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17576084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xTarmanderx/pseuds/xTarmanderx
Summary: When Mason gets taken by hunters, Corey will stop at nothing until he’s safe.





	Traps and Triumph

**Author's Note:**

  * For [manonlemelon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/manonlemelon/gifts).



> A special thanks to Manon for allowing me to write the story to go along with her beautiful art.

Mason’s head throbs when he cracks his eyes open, a low groan spilling from his lips. He blinks slowly and tries to lift his hand to rub at his eyes, wincing as his wrist scrapes against something cold and metallic. It takes a moment for the clink of metal against his chair for him to realize that he can’t move. The panic is sluggish in his veins, his awareness returning at a speed that makes his skin crawl with unease. He rolls his head back for a moment, flinching from the harsh light that’s hanging above him. “Corey?” He croaks out, wincing as the sound of metal screeching across the floor grabs his attention. Letting his gaze wander, he focuses in on a haggard looking older man who smiles sharply. 

“About time you woke up, kid. Started to worry that chloroform did you in.” He crosses his hands behind his back and strolls in front of Mason, peering down at him. “You’re not much, are you?”

“Who are you?” Mason asks, swallowing hard. 

“Wrong question.” The man chuckles and pulls a knife from his waistband, slowly turning it over in his hands. “Better question, what am I going to do with you?”

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll let me go.” He warns, wishing he had some control over his racing heart. He can barely remember what’s happened and he has no idea how he got here. One second he was parking at the ice cream shop, the next he woke up handcuffed to a chair. Corey is bound to realize he’s missing and coming for him. 

“Why? You think those wolf friends of yours will come and get you?” The man sneers and steps closer, twirling the blade and stretching it out in front of him. He taps it lightly under Mason’s chin, dark eyes considering him. “No one is going to save you, you know. By the time they rally and come for you, the traps will be set. They’ll be dead before sunrise.” He chuckles and nicks Mason’s jaw, tracing a thin line across his skin that starts to trickle blood. “We don’t take too kindly to wolves around here, you know. And humans cohabitating with them? Fucking them? It’s not right.” He presses the tip to Mason’s Adam’s apple, pressing in just enough to make him uncomfortable but not enough to break skin. 

“They’ll rescue me,” Mason says hoarsely. Even tied up and with a knife to his throat, he’s confident about that. Liam and Malia are the best trackers and Scott won’t let them walk into traps without a plan. Corey is the only one that he’s worried about. He doesn’t have claws and fangs like the others, but he’ll want to be in the front lines because it’s Mason’s life in the balance. He prays that this time, Corey will take a step back and let the wolves handle his rescue. He should be worrying about himself, but it’s hard to do when he thinks of his boyfriend getting caught in the middle of all of this. He just prays Corey won’t do anything stupid. 

-

Corey knows he’s an idiot. He hadn’t meant to be late for his date with Mason, but he’d fallen asleep after working his second job and ended up sleeping through his alarm. He’s honestly impressed that he’s managed to shower and dress and catch the last bus across town and only be ten minutes late. He’d called Mason to let him know, but he hadn’t gotten an answer. Knowing his boyfriend, his phone had probably died because he’s forgotten to charge it. He loved Mason, but he had some terrible habits. 

He shook his thoughts away and crossed the street to the ice cream shop, scanning the picnic benches for any sign of his boyfriend. When he doesn’t spot him, his attention shifts to the parking lot. Mason’s car is parked farthest from the shop under a street light post that doesn’t seem to be working. He rolls his eyes and jogs toward it, slowing down as something tickles his nose. The scent of chemicals is nearly overwhelming. He looks down and spies a rag half covering a phone. As he kneels down to inspect it, his heart plummets in his chest. 

“Mason?” He snatches the phone up and turns, looking anxiously around the parking lot. He sprints to the picnic tables to the first family he can reach. “Excuse me,” he gasps as he fumbles with his phone and swipes to unlock it. “Have you seen this guy?” He turns his screen around and the woman frowns, leaning in and then giving her husband a troubled look. “Please, this is my boyfriend. It’s important,” he urges. 

“He was here about fifteen minutes ago. He passed out in the parking lot, I think. Some buddy of his said he was drunk and he was taking him home for the night. Kid wasn’t looking so good.” The man frowns up at Corey, scrutinizing him. “You’re awful young to be drinking, aren’t you?”

“He doesn’t drink,” Corey snaps before he can help himself. He turns away, ignoring the couple as he walks across the parking lot to Mason’s car. He kneels down and pulls free the magnetic key box near the rear tire, pulling out the spare. He gets in the car and starts to shake, trembling so hard it takes him three tries to dial Liam’s number. 

“Hey, Corey, what’s up?” Liam cheerfully greets. 

“Mason’s gone,” he whispers brokenly. “Liam. Someone kidnapped my boyfriend.”

-

He doesn’t remember driving to the animal clinic. It’s a blur of Liam saying things over the phone and street signs he doesn’t recognize. It’s of little surprise that he’s the last one there. He’s pretty sure he got lost twice. He climbs from the car and pockets Mason’s phone and his own, staring at the sign above the shop. Mason should be standing beside of him. Hell, he shouldn’t even be here. He’s supposed to be enjoying a date with his boyfriend, not worrying whether or not he’s alive. It rattles him to the core. He squeezes his eyes shut, wishing he could see Mason eating ice cream instead of the images that now haunt him, his boyfriend bloodied and alone in the middle of nowhere. 

“Corey.” Liam says softly, touching his arm. He flinches violently and opens his eyes, tears blurring his vision as he stares helplessly at the beta. “Come inside.”

“Okay.” He nods and shuffles along after him, wiping at his eyes as they enter the animal clinic. Scott and Deaton are deep in conversation, but it tapers off when he steps into the room. Malia and Lydia are both looking frustrated and Theo is in the corner avoiding everyone. Corey breathes a little easier at the familiar sight of the pack. It’s not the same without Mason and his absence bringing them all together makes his stomach roll, but it’s comforting. Everyone wants to help. That’s what matters.

“When did you last talk to Mason?” Scott asks, turning around to face him. 

“On my way home from work this evening,” Corey replies quietly. “I called Mason to let him know I was on my way home and that...that I loved him.” His throat closes up and it feels like he is suffocating. Liam rubs soothing circles against his shoulder blade and he leans into the touch, trying to remember how to tell his lungs they’re supposed to be functioning. 

“Hey. We’re going to find him.” Theo says, straightening up. “Corey. Whoever took Mason is going to pay for this. We’ll make sure of it.” 

“He could be dead already,” Corey croaks. 

“He isn’t.” Scott sighs and takes a step toward him, pulling a note from off of the operating table. “We received this just before you got here.” Corey takes the paper with trembling fingers, sucking in a quiet breath. It’s a ransom note with a simple offer - Scott and his pack for Mason’s life. 

“You can’t be serious.” Corey swallows around the lump in his throat, looking anxiously at Lydia. “Please.”

“He’s still alive, Corey. We’re going to save him. We just need to figure out how.” She says, reaching over and settling her hand on his arm. “Together.”

“There’s no time!” He yells, taking them all by surprise. “They could get tired of him and kill him. What if they think he’s supernatural like us and they’re torturing him? He could be dying, Lydia!” His breathes hard, clutching the paper to his chest and shaking his head quickly.

“Corey-“ Liam reaches for him and he stumbles back another couple of steps, shaking his head.

“I’ll find him. I’ll do it myself.” He swears, disappearing. The room takes on a green hue and he turns, racing for the front door. Shouts of his name and Malia’s frustrated growl sound behind him, but he doesn’t stop. If he stops now, he’s terrified Mason will run out of time. There’s an address on the paper and Corey knows exactly where it is. The old mill house on the outskirts of town. He’s been there before with his photography class. It’s a stupid place for a group of hunters to hide themselves. “I’m on my way, Mason. I’ll be there soon.” He promises as he jumps into the car and tears out of the parking lot. He won’t be able to drive all of the way, but without getting caught, but it’ll get him close enough. He can go the rest of the way on foot.

-

Mason grits his teeth against the pain, trying not to make a sound. It doesn’t work. It hasn’t the last five times the knife has been dragged along his skin. The cuts are shallow and they won’t scar, not really, but he’s not used to pain. Each time blood is drawn, there’s a shallow gasp and a silent plea for it to end. He doesn’t know why he’s being sliced and diced by the older hunter. Maybe it’s fun for him or maybe he’s just that bored. All Mason knows is that when Liam finds him and sees all the blood, there will be hell to pay. The last time Mason had gotten cuts from a cardboard box, Liam had gone a little overboard with tearing the box to pieces. He’d claimed his IED was to blame, but Mason was pretty sure he was just a little overprotective.

The knife presses in behind his ear and he hisses, whining as it’s dragged slowly down the side of his neck and blood trickles down. “You won’t get away with this,” he mutters. The knife gets pulled back and he breathes, but it’s punched from his lips as the hunter’s fist connects with his face. He splutters, spitting a mouthful of blood, and glares fiercely up at the man. “They’ll come for me. My best friend? Strongest beta of the pack. And the alpha’s girlfriend? She has no remorse, she’d rip your head off without a second thought. And our other friend? She can fight you with her screams and take on an entire army of hunters. They’re not going to be scared of you.”

“They’ll be dead by sunrise, boy.” The hunter chuckles and roughly smacks his cheek. “And you’ll be dead soon after. Once your little friends are dead, you’ll join them in the river. No one will ever find your bodies.” He grins sadistically, making Mason’s stomach churn in discontent. 

“They’ll save me.” Mason says, wincing as the man grips him by the jaw. He digs his fingers in hard enough to leaves bruises and Mason gasps, tugging his wrists against the handcuffs. The metal cuts into his already wounded flesh and he gasps, white hot pain shooting up his arms. 

“You’ll be dead with the rest of them. They might try and save you, but we’re ready for them.” He chuckles and steps behind Mason, grabbing one of his hands and dragging the knife teasingly along each of his fingers from palm to the tip of his nails. “Shame you don’t heal like they do, boy. It would make this a hell of a lot more fun for me.”

“Burn in hell,” Mason says coldly. The knife digs into his palm and he cries out, writhing in his chair as a fresh cut is made. With tears pooling in his eyes, he tips his head up toward the light and silently pleads for the pack to find him before it’s too late.

-

Cutting the engine, Corey steps from the car and pockets the keys. He crumples the paper with the address and tosses it into the driver’s seat. He almost tosses Mason’s cell phone but reconsiders at the last second. Having two phones might come in handy and help him distract the hunters. He turns invisible and steps out onto the road, silently making his way closer to the abandoned house. He can hear five heartbeats from inside and three on the perimeter. He shakes his head in disbelief, smiling a little bitterly. If they thought that eight people would be able to take on the pack of a true alpha, they had another thing coming.

He inches closer to the house, straining his hearing for anything out of the ordinary. There’s a faint metallic whir a few feet away and he looks up, eyes locking on the camera immediately. It doesn’t look to be infrared and he breathes a sigh of relief, continuing on the path. “Bill!” Someone yells to his left. He tenses and goes completely still, turning his head to watch the hunter that’s only a few feet away. 

“Mac! You aren’t supposed to be yelling,” someone says quietly from Corey’s right. “What are you doing?”

“Going to check the traps.” The man shorts and keeps walking. Curiosity wins over impatience and Corey creeps along behind him, making sure he steps when the older man does to muffle the sounds of his footfalls. The man bends down to inspect s trip wire a few feet later and Corey follows it to the tree above where a barbed net is waiting. He doesn’t think twice. He lifts his foot and plants it on the man’s lower back, sending him directly over the trip wire to trigger the trap. He dives away just as the net falls and the man howls in pain, the barbs cutting into his skin and infecting his wounds with purple powder. 

“Wolfsbane?” He clenches his jaw and turns as he hears the other man coming to investigate. Before he can get close, Corey lunges and catches him by surprise. He grabs his gun and slams the butt of it into the man’s nose, watching his eyes roll back before his body hits the ground. A quarter of the way done. He grits his teeth and ignores the man howling in pain beside of him, reaching for the hunting knife strapped to the fallen man’s hip. 

It’s easy enough to find and surprise the third guy on the perimeter. There are bear traps hidden every few yards, but Corey’s vision helps him spot them before he can set them off. He lures the other man into them, feeling a little smug and victorious when the man screams as the trap closes around his ankle. He doesn’t waste any time there, carefully making his way back to the house. He finds an open window and slips inside, narrowly missing the sensor pad that’s waiting. He sets his phone on the windowsill and pulls out Mason’s, calling it and stepping into the shadows. Two men come to investigate, reaching for his phone. The sensor goes off and the floor opens up beneath them, swallowing them and their screams.

He sets off two more traps before he finally can advance upstairs to the last two heartbeats. One is fast and anxious as familiar to him as the sound of his own.  _ Mason. _ He crouches down as he enters the hallway, careful not to set off any more traps. The door at the end of the hall is cracked open and he pauses outside of it, shifting his weight so he can lean to the side and get a look inside. It’s a mistake. His blood boiling, Corey gets to his feet and throws open the door as his invisibility melts away.

-

The first scream jars Mason so hard that he unintentionally leans into the knife, allowing it to cut into his cheek. He pulls back and stares up at the furious looking hunter, a slow grin spreading. “I told you they would come for me.” He gloats.

“If you don’t shut the fuck up, I’m going to carve out your tongue and shove it down your throat.” The man snaps. Mason offers him a bloody smile and silence in response. He isn’t giving up, not by a long shot. But he needs to hear his friends coming to rescue him. He can hear crashes downstairs a few minutes later and he sucks in a breath, heart hammering in his chest. The pack is closing in. He sent help but laugh in relief, his shoulders sagging. He’s going to live. He might be a little scarred and shaken up, but he’s alive.

“You lose,” he tells the man with a gleeful grin. He’s not too surprised when he’s backhanded and the man grips him by the jaw, forcing his mouth open and shoving the tip of the knife into his mouth. Mason drags his tongue back and trembles, his eyes widening as the man’s knife presses into the corner of his mouth and draws blood. Whimpering, he tries to pull his head back and discovers he can’t go any further.

“I warned you about that mouth of yours,” the man says angrily. Mason’s heart starts to race and the door across from them crashes open, startling the man into dropping the knife. He turns to an empty doorway, surprise flickering on his face before Corey ripples into existence two feet away.

“Get your hands  _ off _ of my boyfriend,” the chimera hisses. He grabs the hunter by the front of his shirt and throws him up against the wall, eyes blazing gold. 

“W-what the hell are you?” The man demands, paling.

“Your worst nightmare.” Corey promises, squeezing the man by the throat. He turns and launches him into the wall behind Mason, throwing something that sounds like a punch that he can’t see without straining his neck too far. He holds his breath, shuddering as he waits for someone from the pack to enter the room. Soft footsteps fell behind him and gentle hands brush his, a key unclicking the handcuffs. “Sorry I took so long.”

“Where is everyone?” Mason asks, bringing his wrists forward and rubbing the tender skin with a pained wince. 

“Dunno. They’ll probably be here any minute.” Corey says, coming around to stand in front of him. Mason gets up with his help and they’re suddenly holding each other, Corey’s face against his shoulder and Mason’s buried against his neck. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers.

“You saved me on your own? That’s amazing and so fucking hot.” Mason mumbles. Corey lets out a helpless laugh, turning his head up and kissing the side of Mason’s head tenderly.

“I should have been here sooner. I’m so sorry I wasn’t,” He says softly.

“You came for me. That’s the important thing.” Mason tells him. He pulls back and cups Mason’s head between his hands, pulling him in for a slow kiss. Mason’s hiss of pain forces him to draw back and he smiles apologetically, leaning their foreheads together.

“We should get some ice for that. And you need to get cleaned up before your wounds get infected.” Corey says, rubbing his hand down Mason’s arm.

“Can we go for ice cream?” Mason asks, grinning as Corey gives him a bewildered look. “I didn’t survive being tortured and get this many scars to lose my date with you and some well deserved ice cream.”

“You can have anything you want.” Corey laughs, softly kissing him again. “Anything.”


End file.
